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Presented by:
TM
Vendor Guru
Four Keys to Choosing Your Next
Business Phone System
By Joe Taylor Jr.
Copyright © 2007 HQ Publications®, LLC. All rights reserved.Table of ContentsFour Keys to Choosing Your Next Business Phone System 1Introduction 1Key 1: How Efficient Is Your Team? 1Key 2: Expanding Overseas? 1Key 3: Using Flexible Office Space? 1Key 4: Prepared for Anything? 2Business Phone System Case Study: Intel 2Sources 3About the Author 3Introduction Key 2: Expanding Overseas?The latest business phone systems treat telephone calls In his book, The 4-Hour Work Week, author and entrepre-more like email than traditional phone ups, zapping pack- neur Timothy Ferriss recommends offshore knowledge ets of data from point to point over the Internet instead workers as a crucial resource for growing businesses. of through a company's collection of fixed copper wires. Meanwhile, call centers and technical support hubs have When Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Virtual private blossomed throughout North America as companies at-branch exchange (PBX) systems first emerged on the mar- tempt to improve customer service. Whether your new ket a few years ago, buyers were concerned about main- hires live in Boise or Bangalore, virtual PBX systems and taining the quality of phone connections. Now that VoIP inexpensive VoIP telephone routing can connect them has proven itself as reliable and consistent, choosing the seamlessly with your company's clients.right business phone system comes down to understand-ing how specific features can make your company more If your business already maintains a presence in more than profitable. one country, you can reduce your expenses by reviewing business phone systems with inexpensive international To discover the most vital features of any business phone calling. Remember that price isn't always the only factor system, rate your own company on these four factors: in evaluating your system, however. A cheap phone line does your company no good if the quality is poor or if your . Efficiency phone line's latency is high.
. International reach Key 3: Using Flexible Office Space?. Work space flexibility A growing number of companies allow employees to . Disaster planning assign themselves work space as they arrive each day, instead of maintaining the same office or cubicle. This Key 1: How Efficient Is Your Team? practice of "hotdesking" allows companies to use their Whether your home office is bursting at the seams or corporate real estate efficiently, especially in conjunction the queue lines at your world headquarters are burning with mobile or seasonal sales professionals. Unfortunately, through customer relationships, an upgraded business older phone systems can rarely keep up with an executive phone system can improve your bottom line. Phone sys- who might be located in a different workspace--or even tem experts recommend looking at phone features that a different building--from day to day. By carrying a small can streamline communication between employees and phone or a decoder "dongle," team members can simply customers, as well as between your team members. "plug in" and conduct business from any work space.
For instance, integrating faxes into your business phone Alternatively, virtual PBX systems now work together system plan can improve security and efficiency. A virtual with VoIP "softphones" that can be accessed through an attendant to help route calls can help your support staff employee's portable computer. Using this technology, a spend more time on important tasks. And an easy method key team member on a wireless hotspot in a coffee shop to forward or transfer calls reduces dropped connections sounds as close as the account executive in the corner with customers. office. If a laptop is lost or stolen, a new softphone can be installed in minutes on a replacement machine. In both cases, unified messaging applications, like those offered by ShoreTel, keep a team member's important communi-cation organized in a single inbox.
Copyright © 2007 HQ Publications®, LLC. All rights reserved. Key 4: Prepared for Anything? Business Phone System Case Study: IntelWhen an aging steam pipe burst near New York's Grand To put these ideas to the test, Intel commissioned a study Central Station, business owners had no idea that haz- of one of its own business units. Wanting to see how ardous materials w... [download for more]
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